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PROPOSED INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
Department: Department of Resource Management
Other Part(ies): Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability, Chicago, Illinois
Request: Authority for the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”) to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability (“CCDES”).
Goods or Services: Environmental assessment and remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”) at Sauk Lake.
Agreement Number(s): N/A
Agreement Period: Five (5) years from date of execution, with one (1) five-year mutual extension option to be executed at the discretion of the General Superintendent
Fiscal Impact: N/A. The project will be implemented at no direct cost to the Forest Preserves, which may provide in-kind staff support for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the projects.
Accounts: Grant and Mitigation 51010.521314 and 51010.521444
District(s): 5, 6
Summary: CCDES has been allocated $4,000,000.00 as a result of a class action settlement against Monsanto Company and its subsidiaries to resolve allegations of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (“PCB”) contamination of waterways. This amount will be sub-awarded in whole to the Forest Preserves to support environmental assessment and potential remediation of PCBs at Sauk Lake in South Chicago Heights. PCBs are persistent organic pollutants that were widely used in industrial applications until banned in the late 1970s. Despite regulatory prohibitions, historical use and improper disposal have led to legacy contamination in many water bodies, potentially including Sauk Lake. This work was predicated by preliminary sampling conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2015 indicating the presence of trace amounts of PCBs at the site. Further investigation is necessary to inform future efforts to address siltation within the lake, which presently inhibits ecological restoration and the ability to establish a sustainable fishery at the site.
Proposed project activities include sediment sampling to evaluate the source of any PCBs, along with the design, planning, and potential implementation of remediation measures if necessary to remove sediment. Removal of sediment may contribute to comprehensive watershed health and increased ecosystem services such as stormwater absorption, wildlife habitat, and resilience to climate change.
The Sauk Lake complex has been identified in the Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan as the Forest Preserves’ 10th highest priority landscape for ecological restoration.
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